questions & answers

Question: I am renting a room in a house. The landlord has not given me a signed copy of the lease/agreement. The landlord does not give me a rent receipt. I have been living here for about 8 months, sending/mailing the landlord checks regularly. Now, the landlord is asking me to give a detailed breakdown of rent/checks paid ad the associated dates in a specific format. I have done the best I can. The landlord has been sending me multiple messages regarding this over the weekend. Isn't this the landlords job, to keep track of the rent/checks paid. I feel the landlord treats me differently versus others.

Answer: Under the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ARLTA), where a landlord and a tenant have entered into a written rental agreement, the landlord is required to provide the tenant with a complete copy of the agreement that is signed by both parties (A.R.S. 33-1322(E)). A landlord who fails to do so is said to be in “material noncompliance” with the landlord’s obligations. A tenant whose landlord is violating A.R.S. 33-1322(E) may wish to request a copy of the rental agreement from the landlord in a signed and dated letter, and keep a copy of that letter for their records. The ARLTA does not specifically address the issue of payment ledgers, although under the Rules of Procedure for Eviction Actions landlords are expected to have kept careful track of their tenants’ rent payments.